PARIS — A glittering exhibition of royal jewels is opening Wednesday in Paris even as the city still reels from the brazen crown-jewel heist at the nearby Louvre Museum. The four-minute operation in October emptied cases in the Louvre's Apollo Gallery, forced its closure and rattled public confidence in France’s cultural security.

Staff at France's Louvre Museum plan to strike from December 15 over pay and conditions, the stoppage adding to a catalogue of recent woes - including a spectacular jewel heist and a water leak that damaged ancient books - that have put the site's management under intense scrutiny.

Louvre suffers another major setback as burst pipe damages rare books, adding to troubles following theft of Napoleon crown jewels worth $102 million.

Workers at the Louvre Museum have voted to strike over poor working conditions, a ticket-price hike for non-European visitors, and security weaknesses

On November 26, a water leak at Paris’ Louvre Museum damaged between 300 and 400 historical books in the Egyptology and scientific documentation section. Then, on December 8, workers at the museum voted to initiate a strike over poor working conditions. And that’s only a drop in the bucket compared to the Louvre’s overall woes so far this year.